


Bright in Their Periphery

by discoverylesbian



Category: Free!
Genre: Asexual Rei, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Mutual Pining, Non Binary Rin, Other, genderfluid nagisa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-18 23:53:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4724930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/discoverylesbian/pseuds/discoverylesbian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“So, my family’s having this party for my aunts birthday, right? ‘Cause she’s turning old, and when my cousin called last night, okay, he was saying how I should ‘bring my girlfriend along’ and he kept calling me a boy, even though they all know not to right?” Nagisa takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly while Rei nods, and takes another deep breath, before saying very quickly, “So Rei, I was thinking you could pretend to be my boyfriend?” They breathe deep again, staring at Rei’s face, Rei;s still nodding while trying to process Nagisa’s request. </p><p>“Pretend to date you?” Rei asks.<br/>-<br/>Rei would really like to meet anyone who can say ‘No,’ to Nagisa and perhaps take lessons from them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i've not had the best time with writing chaptered fics before so updates may be sparse and unreliable but i will try my best!!

Nagisa has written the same list five times over. They’ve had the same results each time and they’re getting frustrated. Their page (ripped out of a maths book, because who needs extra pages for maths?) is covered in crossed out names and one name continually being circled. 

Nagisa sighs to themself, and collapses back against their pillow. Bringing their phone into eyesight, they notice that it’s past midnight, ‘And on a school night too,’ they think, ‘Rei would be horrified.’  
Nagisa quickly shoves all the pages into their maths book, which is gently thrown in the vague direction of their school bag, turns off their bedroom light and tries to sleep. 

///

Nagisa wakes up feeling uneasy and nervous. They pick out an outfit carefully, something that they feel good in and can also fidget with in small ways.  
They decide on a skirt, one of their favourites (black and flowing, cutting off just above the knee.), their comfiest t-shirt (pink and purple with stars) tucked in and hidden under their school top and vest.  
Nagisa gently crams all their school books and a clean swimsuit into their backpack and grows to grab breakfast.

They breath deeply to themself before locking the front door and walking to meet Rei at the train station.  
It’s not a long walk, and it’s one Nagisa walks most days, but this is the most jittery they’ve been and they’re purposefully wasting time, kicking all the rocks in their path. As they approach the train station, Nagisa can see Rei waiting for them, he’s checking his phone, and they can see the worry on his face, and knows they’re the cause, and of course the situation needs to be remedied, right now. 

 

Nagisa decides on sneaking around behind Rei, timing it carefully so that Rei’s phone is away in his pocket and out of danger, before running and throwing their arms and legs around Rei’s torso, “Rei!” They whisper, smiling when Rei’s arms go to link automatically under Nagisa’s knees, supporting them.  
“Good morning, Nagisa,” Rei greets.  
Nagisa presses a friendly kiss to Rei’s cheek, before hopping down and straightening their skirt, nervousness mostly pushed to the back of their mind.  
The train for their school is pulling up as Nagisa links their arm with Rei’s, pulling him along and through the double doors.  
“‘Morning, Rei.” Nagisa says, returning the greeting in the relative quiet of the train. 

They’re sitting next to each other, both with their backpacks resting on their laps and torsos twisting sideways to face each other. 

“Did you sleep through your alarm again?” Rei asks, eyebrows pulled together as he worries about worst case scenarios, ‘Is Nagisa sick? Are their grades slipping? Did they fight with their parents again?’  
Nagisa, of course, can read this worry on Rei’s face, and is quick to smile,and reassure him, “‘Course I did, I stayed up late is all.” 

The train starts to speed up, causing Nagisa’s bracelet to clang against the bar they’re holding, the butterfly charms catching Rei’s eyes when he reflectively looks towards the noise. 

“Oh? Why would you be up so late?”  
“Thinking ‘bout things,” Is all Nagisa offers, with a shrug.  
Rei frowns, ‘What would Nagisa be thinking about so much that they don’t sleep? Nagisa loves sleep.’  
“Would you like to talk about things, Nagisa?”  
“Actually, Rei,” They begin, sweet smile on their face, “I need to ask you a favour later!”  
“Of course, anything.” Rei says, smiling back at Nagisa but not meeting their eyes, too scared of Nagisa seeing just how much Rei would do for them. 

The rest of the train ride goes by quietly, small conversations about classes and assessments. Rei’s fears about Nagisa’s grades are mostly unfounded, and Nagisa’s laughing and telling him to relax as the stops at the station closest to Iwatobi High School. 

Nagisa links their arms with Rei’s again smiling softly when Rei accepts. Nagisa knows that they can be overbearing with physical affection sometimes, and is proud that they can tell when Rei is feeling uncomfortable with it, and also when he really needs it.  
They don’t have any classes together til after lunch today, and so Nagisa gives Rei the tightest hug they can manage at the school gates, promising to explain their favour and meet him at the roof for lunch, before they’re both heading to their separate classes. 

///

Nagisa’s classes are boring, their foot is tapping against the tiled floor, their interest having slipped away from the teacher and the work five minutes into the class. Their page is filled with doodles and in their neatest handwriting they’ve started a list titled: Pros and Cons of asking Rei. 

They’ve drawn out a table on the graph paper, subtitled two lists, Pros and Cons.  
The Cons list is long, but it’s all the one word written over again, though as the list goes down it’s underlined and in capitals, the last time the word is written it has exclamation and question marks following.  
FEELINGS?!!!??  
Their Pros list is more wordy, reading:  
-Rei will not laugh  
-He will probably say yes  
-He is the best  
-My parents know and like Rei  
-Rei is good at hugs  
The last point on the Pros list is also -feelings? but they draw several hearts under it. 

///

The list is folded up and forgotten about in Nagisa’s book by lunch time, they’re sitting with Rei on the roof, Nagisa only picking from their lunch, because their nerves have fully returned. 

Rei clears his throat, pushing his lunch box from his lap and pulling his legs up to sit cross legged, facing Nagisa.  
“Would asking me that favour help your stomach?” Rei asks, always worried whenever Nagisa doesn’t eat with enthusiasm. 

Nagisa nods and looks around again, Kou said she was with Makoto and Haru for lunch, trying to keep Haru out of the pool (at least while he’s in uniform), before mimicking the way Rei is sitting and twirling their skirt around a finger. Rei gently lays a hand on Nagisa’s knee, patiently waiting for his friend to find the words. 

“So, my family’s having this party for my aunts birthday, right? ‘Cause she’s turning old, and when my cousin called last night, okay, he was saying how I should ‘bring my girlfriend along’ and he kept calling me a boy, even though they all know not to right?” Nagisa takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly while Rei nods, and takes another deep breath, before saying very quickly, “So Rei, I was thinking you could pretend to be my boyfriend?” They breathe deep again, staring at Rei’s face, Rei's still nodding while trying to understand Nagisa’s request. 

“Pretend to date you?” Rei asks.  
“Yeah! Ehh, you don’t have to, of course, it’s just an idea.”  
“Would it make you more comfortable?”  
Nagisa blushes and looks away from Rei, at the ground, ”Yes.”  
“Then of course I will, Nagisa.”  
“Really?” Nagisa says, eyes wide and hands shaking. 

 

Rei would really like to meet anyone who can say ‘No,’ to Nagisa and perhaps take lessons from them. He thinks about how Nagisa would react if he suggested actually dating, and laughs at himself for being so foolishly optimistic, and just nods instead.  
Nagisa leaps up and hugs Rei immediately, saying “Thank-you, Rei!” repeatedly. 

“Rei really is the best!” Is said into Rei’s neck, Nagisa fingernails are digging into his back, their hair in his face, his nose.  
Rei’s hold on Nagisa loosens when he feels them wiggle and squirm in his lap, pulling away to sit back next to him, thighs pressed against Rei’s and skirt fanned out over the ground and Rei’s leg. 

“Whens your aunt's party?” Rei asks.  
“Weekend next, it’s at my parents house.”  
“Are your parents aware of your, uh, plan?”  
Nagisa’s smile grows wicked, and they laugh, “Well, no, but when you come over to study later,” Nagisa pauses, and stares at Rei til he sighs and nods, knowing he’s agreeing to forget studying and play a console game with Nagisa, “I’ll tell them you’re my boyfriend!”


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa's mother may be an actual angel   
> (and i may have cried a little writing the last bit)  
> Rei is oblivious and i love him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> None of this has been beta read and i am probably not the best at editing, if you see any mistakes please let me know!

“Ehh, well Rei confessed his feelings on the train ride home today, can you even believe he likes me?” Nagisa laughs, “but you guys know how I feel about Rei so, of course I said yes!”  
Rei’s brain fades out of the conversation then, ‘Nagisa talks to their parents about me? They talk so positively about me that dating me makes complete sense to their parents, just how long have they been planning this?’  
Nagisa’s parents are laughing at something Nagisa said, which Rei totally missed in his thoughts. 

“Rei, did you not like my joke?” Nagisa asks, their eyes are sparkling and Rei has to fight becoming distracted again.   
“I’m so sorry, Nagisa,” He apologises, I was just distracted, I’m sure your joke was very funny.” 

Rei can’t control the blush that spreads across his nose and cheeks when Nagisa’s parents laugh softly, directed at he and Nagisa this time. Rei can see the blush across Nagisa’s face too, much brighter than his feels, although Nagisa is usually the brightest thing in Rei’s eyesight.   
Nagisa laughs awkwardly, along with the tail end of their parents laugh,   
“Ha, well anyway, we’re going upstairs to study now.”   
They grab Rei’s wrist and pull him along to the stairs, their grip slips loose at the stairs and Nagisa’s hand slips into Rei’s and their parents laugh again, calling out, “Keep the door open!”  
“We’ve never had the door open before?” Rei questions, ‘Why would ‘dating’ change the privacy we’ve been allowed previously?’   
“Yeah, sorry, I wasn’t sure if it was okay to tell people you’re ace, y’know, so they’re probably thinking like, yeah.”   
Rei’s blush returns and he wonders if it will just become a constant setting on his face for the next two weeks. “That was very consideration of you, Nagisa.”   
He’s pulled into Nagisa’s room, Nagisa carefully adjusting the door so that an argument could be made that it’s technically open, though Rei doesn’t think it’s more than a finger width away from the frame. 

“They were probably joking anyway,” Nagisa shrugs.   
Nagisa makes a show of pulling their school books out and spreading them around the two cushions on the ground, purposefully placing their back towards the TV and console setup. 

They lean back to rest against their bed, at an angle Rei would not think comfortable but for the way Nagisa relaxes into it.   
Rei laughs softly to himself as he settles himself, back up straight and school books piled up neatly.   
Nagisa follows Rei’s lead and pulls their maths book closest to them. A few loose pages fly out but they shrug it off, thinking that it’s just handouts from last class.   
The papers catch Rei’s eyes though, and he shuffles them together up with his, into his loose leaf folder. He can see his name in Nagisa’s handwriting.   
He pushes the roughly folded note into the folder fully, and opens his maths book and starts on his homework, spying Nagisa doodling in their margin. 

Rei laughs quietly, watching Nagisa poke their nose with a pen.   
“Nagisa?”   
“Rei?”  
“You’re not studying, are you?”   
“Well, I guess not. But, Rei, neither are you.”   
Rei stutters, and the words fall out of his mouth out of order, “Uh, I was, you see, and then…” Rei lets his sentence end as Nagisa pulls themselves into an upright position.   
“You wanna play a game?” 

///

Rei ends up running late to get to the train station in time for the second to last train, pushing through the doors while still waving goodbye to Nagisa. A few stops into the ride and he’s able sit down and pull his backpack to his lap, and honestly he’s intending to read over the handouts from class when he remembers his name in Nagisa’s rushed handwriting, and searches instead for that paper. 

Rei pulls the graph paper out and carefully unfolds it. He reads slowly, Pros and Cons of asking Rei. His fingers run over Nagisa’s words FEELINGS!?? as he stands to slowly step off the train.   
‘Nagisa has feelings for someone?’ 

At the station he stops walking once he’s out of anyone’s way, and carefully folds the paper back up and slides it into his pocket, along with his phone and keys.   
Rei walks home on automatic, mind stuck on Nagisa’s list, the hearts they’d drawn.   
Rei feels in his pocket for his keys, fingers brushing over the paper, as he pulls them out. They jingle in his hands as he struggles with the lock, autopilot not not quite extending and the door demanding his attention.   
He pushes through the door, and notes that no-one else is home yet, despite the late hour. ‘My parents must be working overtime again,’ he thinks, it’s not uncommon, his mother is a very in-demand real estate agent, his father a professor at a nearby university.   
Both his parents careers and his only child status have lead to Rei being most comfortable by himself. 

Rei prepares himself a small dinner, still mostly full from sweets he’d had at Nagisa’s, and thinks to himself about the next to weeks and what they will hold.   
‘Do I tell my parents? That we’re dating or that we’re pretending?’ He is back on autopilot as he washes his plate up and walks to his room, leaving the lounge light on behind him. 

Once in his room, he sets out his pajamas and a clean school uniform for tomorrow's school day. He decides on asking Nagisa tomorrow, what they suggest he do.   
Rei proceeds to do what homework he had planned to do at Nagisa’s before changing and sending Nagisa a quick text.   
‘Goodnight, i hope you sleep better tonight <3’ 

///

Nagisa’s phone buzzes from it’s place on their bedside table, they ignore it in favour of their history homework, letting it grasp their full attention now that they’re alone.   
There’s a light rap at their door and Nagisa hums lightly, as it’s pushed open and their mother steps into the bedroom. She shuts the door behind her and joins Nagisa on the floor, pulling the floor pillow Rei was using earlier to sit closer to her child. 

“So, Ryuugazuki, huh?” She says, elbowing Nagisa to get their full attention. They make a point of slowly putting a bookmark in their textbook, turning to fully face their mum.   
“Yes, Rei.”   
“Nagisa,” She sighs, he face stern and soft in a way Nagisa knows that means she knows, she’s figured it out and the softness tells that she’ll keep the secret if they ask. 

Nagisa sighs too, “Yeah, I know.”   
Their mum opens her arms and Nagisa shuffles into them, wrapping their own arms around her waist as hers close on their back, rubbing soothing circles into their shoulder blades.   
“That boy would really do anything for you, hey?”   
Instead of a reply she feels Nagisa’s nod against her shoulder.  
“You know, he might even feel the same way you do.” She suggests.   
Nagisa tries to laugh (because, to them, the idea of anyone, let alone Rei, liking them like that is laughable.) instead it comes out as a sob and tears against their mothers shoulder. 

She continues to draw circles on their shoulder, til their eyes stop watering and they pull back from the hug. She stands slowly and gently kicks the floor pillow back, pushing Nagisa’s hair back a little, “Get some sleep,” she says, pulling Nagisa into a short standing hug before pushing them softly onto the bed.   
“Good night, mum.” 

///


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rather short chapter, because i just wanted to put something up ^.^  
> the next chapter is really fun i'm excited for it

Nagisa doesn’t read Rei’s text until the morning, they smile to themself, still wrapped up in their blankets.  
They pull themselves upright and stretch. They rush through their morning routine, doing everything faster than usual, quick shower, chucking a school uniform on, throwing their hair up and shoving a banana in their mouth for breakfast. 

The result of their rushing is exactly what Nagisa wants, they’re at the train station before Rei. They find a small bench to sit on, not knowing what time Rei gets there because he’s always arrived before Nagisa. 

 

Rei is stepping of his connecting train, when he spots Nagisa’s back and their hair up in a messy bun. Rei smiles to himself, forgetting for a minute that they’re only pretending and letting fondness show openly on his face.  
A stranger follows his eyesight and smiles at him, kindly. 

Rei smiles back, walking past the stranger, and blushes too. He stands quietly next to Nagisa, who is still facing the other direction, their back to Rei.  
He gently taps them, on the shoulder,  
“Sunshine!” They say, turning to hug Rei.  
Rei laughs, thinking that he is not sunshine, he is incomparable to sunshine as Nagisa is sunshine personified. 

“Good morning, Nagisa.”  
Rei sits next to Nagisa, legs tucked neatly under the bench, compared to Nagisa who has splayed their legs out around their backpack, creating a roof with their knee.  
Rei bounces his knee against Nagisa’s. They pass the time waiting for the train, running a few minutes late, with Nagisa doodling on the inside cover of Rei’s workbook. 

///

 

“See you later guys!” Nagisa says, bouncing up from their warm down stretches, “We’re going shopping,” They reach out a hand to help pull Rei up, which he accepts and they walk off together. 

They leave behind Kou (who’s watching Makoto stretch), Haru (also watching Makoto, but from the pool) and Makoto.  
After Kou is sure the two are gone, she sighs loudly, repeating it when she gets only a bored, passing glance from Haru before he dives under the water again. 

Rolling his eyes, Makoto clears his throat, “Haru,”  
Only Makoto is close enough to the pool to hear Haru’s sigh as he pulls himself up and out of the pool.  
Kou’s walks over to pull the two boys into sitting in an almost circle.  
“This could earn badly,” 

“They both know how they feel.”  
Kou laughs, “Yes, but they don’t know how each other feels. Rei thinks Nagisa likes someone else.”  
“Kou,” Makoto says, gently, “We can’t interfere.”  
Haru speaks quietly, not liking how the frown forming on Kou’s face looks a mixture of upset and devious, “We could nudge them?” 

 

Kou’s face brightens immediately, and she turns to face Haru, full intensity of her stare on him, “What are you suggesting?”  
Haru doesn’t meet her eyes, can’t, instead watching Makoto’s hands instead, as he speaks, “Well, this is all because of a party, right?”  
Kou nods and Makoto smiles softly at him, cluing in to where Haru is going with his idea. 

“And Rin’s birthday is only a small time away, and they love party games.”  
Kou starts clapping, forgetting her original goal of helping Nagisa and Rei, and starts mentally planning a party for her sibling, deciding that Haru’s suggestion is as close to actual approval that she is going to get. 

Haru and Makoto are sharing small smiles at Kou’s distraction, knowing that they’ll be the ones convincing Rin that a birthday party planned by Kou, and with a slight ulterior motive, could be a good thing.


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei and Nagisa go shopping its pretty cute tbh

Rei’s face is matching in colour to the bright red skirt Nagisa is currently showing off, twirling in a semi-circle to see the fabric fly.   
“That colour is quite beautiful on you, Nagisa.” Rei says, adjusting the coat hangers on his arm. 

 

“I know!” They twirl around, a full circle this time. When settled the skirt falls to mid-thigh, it’s made of a soft cotton and Rei swears there are small bits of gold glitter on it, though that could’ve easily fallen from Nagisa.   
“Do you think I have any tops to match it?” They ask, trying to recall their wardrobe contents.   
“Uhh, well do you still have that black tee?” Rei asks.   
Nagisa stares blankly and says, “More details?”  
“With the yellow pocket? I think the colours would look very good together and that top looks very uh, fl-flattering on you.” Rei says, he knows he stutters slightly but Nagisa thinks nothing of it, Rei always stutters when he compliments anyone. 

“That’s perfect!” Nagisa jumps closer to Rei and pulls him into a tight hug.   
“So do you think this is the one you want?” Rei asks, dislodging himself from the hug.   
Nagisa nods, “But I would still like to try on the purple dress too.”   
Nagisa helps Rei shuffle round the coat hangers on his arm, he hands Nagisa the purple dress and an empty hanger for the red skirt.   
Nagisa smiles at Rei and turns to skip back to the changing room.

While Nagisa is changing, Rei puts the other clothes away, well, he hangs them on the nearest rack and hopes none are too far out of place, Nagisa had picked something up from almost every section of the store.   
He returns to his place outside Nagisa’s changing room and can hear Nagisa bumping the walls of the room.   
“Ready, Rei?” They call out, but not giving Rei a chance to answer before swinging the door open and stepping out, barefoot. 

The purple dress Rei had found suits Nagisa perfectly, it has a peter pan collar, and is lilac in colour, with pockets and a strip of dark purple lace where it cuts off at their knee.  
The dress swishes easy when Nagisa sways on the spot, and looks up to meet Rei’s eyes, “Whatcha think?” they ask. 

Rei thought his blush couldn’t get any hotter but now he knows it’s entirely possible, because he swears he can feel his blush on the inside of his cheeks, burning.  
“You look beautiful, Nagisa.” Rei’s voice is close to a whisper, but Nagisa is standing close enough that they can hear him easily. 

“Ahw, Rei.” Nagisa blushes too, and their hands fly up to hide their cheeks, “Thank you!”   
Nagisa wants to hug Rei again but they can see how tightly he is holding himself and the closed body language and instead steps back to give Rei some space, because even if he needs it, Rei never asks Nagisa to step away. 

They check the time on their phone and it reads almost 5 o’clock in the afternoon.   
“Rei, I’m going to put my clothes on now.”   
Rei laughs, “Have fun.”   
As soon as he hears the lock click, Rei lets out a deep breath, always thankful when Nagisa can tell how he’s feeling about physical affection, wonders how much attention Nagisa must have paid to little facial expressions and movements to read him so well. 

Nagisa steps out of the change rooms again, back in school uniform, although modified, white shirt left unbuttoned to show a superman tee and white ankle socks replaced with pink over the knee socks, and smiles brightly at him, skirt and dress back on their hangers and over Nagisa’s wrist.   
“Rei, pick for me?”   
Rei frowns, “You can’t get both?”   
Nagisa’s head shakes, “Nope, mum only gave me enough for one thing, for the party.”   
“Well, which do you like best?” Rei says, trying to find a logical or practical way to decide.   
“Oh, I can’t choose!” Nagisa says, head falling to face the ground, before standing up straight and holding their choices up, one in each hand.   
“Well, uh, I would buy the dress for you, if that’s okay?” Rei says, stuttering again. 

 

Nagisa blushes, brighter than Rei had all day, “Would you really do that for me?”   
Rei nods, “If you’d like.”   
Nagisa squeaks softly, “Can I hug you?” They ask.   
Rei nods again, and Nagisa jumps to wrap their arms around him, dress and skirt laying half on Rei’s head and shoulder.   
“Thank you so much!” 

///

“Now every time I wear the dress, I’ll think of you, Rei!” Nagisa says, not mentioning that even if they’d brought it themselves they would’ve thought of Rei anyway because of the colour and Rei’s compliments. 

The two are walking to the train station together, as Rei has to catch a train to get home and Nagisa’s house is just past the station.   
“I hope you wear it often,”  
“Of course, it’s beautiful.”   
Nagisa hugs Rei goodbye at the train station, making sure that Rei knows the way to their house, because he’ll have to walk there by himself on Sunday.   
Rei laughs them off, insisting and reminding Nagisa that he has walked there before and alone. 

 

After his train, Rei walks home, hoping to see his parents tonight, they’re usually home by six on Fridays and Rei’s coming home pretty late.


	5. Five

Rei’s parents are home when he walks in the door, and have seemingly been so for a while, judging by the papers his father has spread across the table.  
“Evening,” he greets, slinging his backpack on to the kitchen bench, pulling his lunchbox and drink bottle out.  
He hangs his backpack on a hook, laying his school work on the bench to take to his room. Rei smiles to himself at his father's hummed reply, and his mother’s call of “You’re home,” from somewhere in the house.  
(When he had asked Nagisa’s advice about what to tell his parents, they has shrugged, and said to “do what feels right,” and Rei stayed up for hours that night, deciding that he wasn’t going to tell his parents as it feels to close to lying or trickery, and Rei doesn’t believe his parents deserve that.)

His parents instead think that he is just going to the party as Nagisa’s friend, it feels less like lying to let them assume that the two would spend most of the party in Nagisa’s room. But still, Rei had his fingers crossed behind his back for that conversation. 

Rei feels his phone buzz in his pocket, as he shuffles his school work to rest in the crook of his arm. It buzzes again when he’s walking past his father and again as he lays his work on his desk before heading towards his parents room to greet his mother properly.  
His phone buzzes again when he raises his hand to knock on the bedroom door.  
“It’s unlocked,”  
Another buzz when he pushes the door open. A sixth buzz as he half hugs his mother, “Sorry, I’m late home.”  
“No problem, did you have fun with Nagisa today?” She asks, in time with another buzz in his pocket.  
“of course,”  
“Any homework for the weekend?” Two buzzes in quick succession, he nods.  
“Can you get it done before the party?”  
Rei laughs, “Of course,”  
“Don’t work too hard.” She pats his back with her advice, and another buzz in Rei’s pocket surprises him.  
He bids his mother good night, hugging her again with his phone vibrating against her leg too.  
Rei’s phone buzzes twice more when he says goodnight to his father. He sits at his desk, buzz   
As he reaches for his phone it buzzes again in his hand, and this time he sees the notification, read **Kou:** c’mon they’re my sibling i don’t want to read this,’  
He quickly unlocks his phone and scrolls to the top of the group message thread, hoping to make sense of Kou’s text.  
The first message is from Haru and simply reads, ‘Party, next Friday, after school. Rin’s birthday, my house.’ It’s concise and to-the-point, Haru’s speech patterns don’t change even with a keyboard in front of him.  
Rei continues to read down the thread, wondering how a what started as Haru’s version of an invitation, could end up something about Rin that Kou doesn’t want to read. 

**Rin:** when did i agree to this?  
**Makoto:** you agreed last night, don’t be trouble  
Rei smiles when he reads Nagisa’s reply, feeling their excitement through the text, ‘Rin!! i would love to come to your party !!’  
**Kou:** i’m planning it so it’ll be good  
**Rin:** i def did _not_ agree to that  
**Haru:** You’re very agreeable when you’re sleepy.  
**Kou:** don’t worry, i’ll plan something you’ll like. Promise  
**Rin:** you said that about Haru’s party  
**Nagisa:** c’mon Rin, Kou’s parties are fun!!!  
**Makoto:** it could be fun  
**Haru:** Makoto doesn’t lie  
**Haru:** Makoto says we have an early present for you  
**Rin:** yh okay, kou have fun, r u both at haru’s?  
Rei see’s he also has a private message from Nagisa, saying, ‘do u think that means what i think it does?’  
Rei replies to Nagisa’s text with a vomiting emoji and clicks back into the group chat.  
**Rei:** not that it seems relevant anymore, but i’m in for the party

He turns off notifications for the group thread, mentally promising himself he’ll read them in the morning, probably.  
He see’s that Nagisa has not replied to their private texts and hopes it’s because they’re focusing on homework instead, Rei locks his phone and moves to plug it into the charger on his bedside table. He lays out pajamas, and clothes for tomorrow, sparing a thought for Sunday’s outfit.  
After Rei is satisfied everything is set out neatly, he changes into his pajamas, folds his school uniform and places it neatly on the top of his laundry basket.  
He sorts his homework into two piles, a smaller pile that he wishes to complete tonight and a larger pile for tomorrow, he starts first on his history homework.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am v bad at keeping tenses right im so sorry


End file.
